Gentrification, affordable housing and homelessness in Vancouver's DTES
Vancouver 'micro-lofts' billed as smallest in Canada
A Vancouver developer has unveiled 30 "micro-lofts," which are under 300 square feet in size and are touted as the smallest self-contained furnished rental apartments in Canada.They are in a newly renovated building at 18 West Hastings Street, across from Save-On Meats in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside and were displayed Monday. The suites, which range in size from 226 to 291 square feet, go for an average of $850 per month, including cable and internet.
"I was looking for an affordable living space ... and the suite was perfect," said Lia Cosco, one of the building's tenants. "The unique allocation of space and the design concepts make the small space very inviting and comfortable to live in."
While the suites may seem microscopic to some, the developer says the units maximize the square footage by using built-in pull-down wall beds, folding tables and compact appliances....
The city, along with developers Reliance Properties and ITC Construction Group, are billing the suites as "an affordable and much needed non-subsidized rental housing opportunity in downtown Vancouver."
However, that description doesn't sit well with a handful of protesters who stormed the unveiling on Monday.
"I don't understand how this is part of an affordable housing strategy," said demonstrator Ivan Drury. "This is not an affordable housing strategy. This is a homelessness strategy."
Context: 18 West Hastings used to be the Burns Block hotel, which had a slate of single-resident occupancy units (SROs) for a fraction of the current rent. The hotel was shut down in 2006 for building code violations (a tried and true gentrification strategy--neglect, foreclose, rebuild).
Welfare rates in BC are $610 a month, with $375 allocated for housing (even though most SROs are $425 or more).
Here is Carnegie Community Action Plan's (CCAP) recent report on gentrification and affordable housing:
UPSCALE: The downside of gentrification (2011 CCAP SRO hotel report)
Hotel rooms that used to be the housing of last resort for low income people, are being upgraded and rented to students and young workers at rents that low income residents can’t afford. The annual survey of privately owned DTES hotels found that only 7% of rooms (235) are in buildings where all rents are $375 or lower, down from 12% in 2010 and 29% in 2009.At least 700 people are literally homeless and living in DTES shelters, not counting people living on the streets or couch surfing says the report, released today. Thousands more live in about 3,500 privately owned SRO rooms. Many of these have deplorable conditions with poor management, rodents, cockroaches, bedbugs, and danger, especially for women, transgender people and people with health issues. Another 1,500 people live in government or non-profit owned SROs that are usually cleaner and better managed but are still tiny and don’t have private bathrooms or kitchens or meet modern earthquake standards.
That is a dirty trick played on homeless people. Affordable housing is one big joke across the country.
I should have voted for Sandy Garossino. If she runs again I will. I'd suggest people read this to understand why: Unaffordable (That’s What You Are).
So yeah, I'm not opposed to the 'micro-lofts' per se. On average most people have too much house. Personally, I can't see myself living in a place less than 400 square feet, but to each their own and I kind of like the idea of something that would discourage consumption for the sake of consumption.
I suppose my objection to these places are that they're somehow billed as "affordable." 850$/month, considering the square footage, is not affordable. Granted that includes internet and cable, but even so that's still about $700-ish/month.
If the poverty-line wages for a single person in the region are about 21K/year, this is still well over the suggested "spend a third of your income on rent" advice. That of course doesn't even factor marginalized populations into the mix. But frankly, I feel as if the way things have gotten even middle and working class people are marginalized in this market.
What do developers expect? The average person to go into debt just to finance day-to-day living expenses? The real estate bubble, or better yet pyramid scheme that is Vancouver's real estate market, is not sustainable if Vancouver intends to stay a place where residents actually live (and contribute to society not just a speculative market for global capital looking for something "safe").
I voted for Sandy. Too bad she didn't get in.
Anyways, yeah, in many other neighborhoods in Vancouver, this would be a positive step, but not there. Rich people are often more willing to experiment on "other people's" turf which they consider to be a throwaway anyways..
Yeah, VK, part of the worst and most insidious aspect of this plan is that $850 is still too high for a single-occupant apartment on average or below-avergae wages--but it's pretty damn good for Vancouver. So this pits justly indignant average wage-earners against the low-income residents of the DTES who are normally fighting high-income people and developers. It's a great way to align the city against its poor (as if there's not enough of that going on already).
I saw a CBC vignette on this a couple of days ago and they ended with a quote from a micro-loft resident: "This isn't just a low-income problem, it's an average income problem." Then the voice over said: "And that's the message that gets lost in this protest [against the lofts]". So, CBC, let me get this straight: the low-income people should think of the middle-incomes' problems and weigh their protest accordingly? Why not phrase the story as low-income and middle-income people sharing a common interest and grudge against the developers and city hall? Well--I think we know the answer to that...[/cynicism]
Moving on up: Gentrification in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside
Amazing, comprehensive article by Harsha Walia and Dave Diewert. Anyone wanting to know about the effects of gentrification should read this. Perhaps Thomas Mulcair should have given it a read before his housing-plan policy announcement in Woodwards.
Incredible graphic by Joel Marion:
Proposals to build free or low-cost homeless housing said to be 'stalled' by the province. Last of three parts.
Container housing manufacturer MC Quarters offered to build this 43-suite supportive housing complex on a city-owned site at the corner of Princess Avenue and Powell Street. The Vancouver-based company offered to donate the cost of the container-based housing units, and help raise the estimated $1.6 million required for on-site construction.
Last summer, Vancouver City Council invited several B.C.-based companies to submit ideas about how modular housing might be employed to house the homeless.
Three container-based proposals were among the five submitted. One firm offered to build a 43-suite supportive housing complex at no cost to taxpayers. Another offered to lease dormitory-style rooms for only $350 a month. Yet another offered to build a similar project from scratch using local labour at its Coquitlam factory....
http://thetyee.ca/News/2010/04/14/HomelessHousing/
eta: this was an opportunity to do something that was needed and didn't reward the developers. both the city and the province fucked it up royally and blamed each other. they are both negligent to the highest order.
http://vancouver.mediacoop.ca/video/vancouver-city-hall-occupation-against-condos/10569
..........
Downtown Eastside Goes Up Against City Hall Face to Face on April 17quote
The Drill
In the semblance of procedure that the City of Vancouver throws up as routine barrier to recalcitrant residents, there may be three opportunities for ordinary people to convey their views on a particular development proposal.
1 At the very beginning, when a developer sponsors an "open house" and gathers opinion.
2 At a public hearing before Council, but only if the development seeks change in zoning.
3 At the very end, when prepared plans go to the Development Permit Board for signoff.
All of these pro forma "opportunities" are essentially meaningless. Sometimes, desperate residents can make a point that magically becomes incorporated into a plan. Why anything happens is never clear. The few changes ever achieved amount to tweaks applied to the determinative designs that emanate from backroom collaboration between planning staff and developers....
http://vancouver.mediacoop.ca/story/downtown-eastside-goes-city-hall/10574
First, fuck Mike Comrie:
Second, God Bless Satire:
thx Catchfire for my morning belly laugh.
Interesting, but what does it mean?
To own or rent?
Is it a metro average?
And does the percentage of 40 hour work week to own refer to ones monthly pay cheque or one of their weekly paycheques required?
And what's the difference between the two bars supposed to mean?
Love the satire though.
and though i guess the gatineau could end up being bizarrely representative of quebec with ultra-expensive ottawa burbs and the rural and all that, but i still don't see why you'd compare vancouver/calgary/toronto/halifax/gatineau, just seems weird.
that said, i'm weirdly proud at how relatively affordable montreal is, definitely the result of a pretty great rent control regime.
BC Liberals and Bob Rennie tighten grip on housing construction in Vancouver
I thought the laneway homes were a good idea until I saw the cost. They want anywhere from $160K to $225K for a 750 square foot prefab laneway home on a postage stamp size lot in Vancouver. That's ridiculous.
To paraphrase a famous statement, appointing Bob Rennie as Housing Commissioner is a bit like appointing an arsonist as Fire Chief, no?
Not by Vancouver standards (which, I recognize, are somewhat ridiculous). A comparable-sized new condo downtown (so no yard) goes for almost double that.
Here's a photo of one from the City's website. It hardly seems like a hovel to me, and personally I'd jump at the chance to buy it for $200K. Unfortunately it's still out of reach of the vast majority of people in Vancouver.
Rather than focusing on housing prices, I personally believe the priority should be to build more affordable rental housing.
This thread would work better as an RSS feed of the excellent Mainlander.
BC Housing subsidizes Pantages Condo project
4 years ago today Mayor Gregor said he wanted bottom-up planning, grassroots voice at City Hall. Then, the opposite happened.
text & video
That’s what the Mayor said to about 400 community representatives, thanking them for believing that Vision Vancouver would repeal the EcoDensity policies brought in by the Non-Partisan Association, and instead support CityPlan.
Four years later, many people know the opposite is what happened. The actions and voting of Mayor Robertson’s Council majority since 2008 have betrayed the public trust, broken the social contract. That’s what people are saying now. The rest of the story many know by now — the STIR program, Interim Rezoning Policy, Transportation 2040 — these are just the tip of the iceberg....
http://cityhallwatch.ca/
Dec 11 march to block condos from 100-block E Hastings, defend DTES low-income communities
STOP PANTAGES CONDOS! SOCIAL HOUSING NOT DISPLACEMENT!
SAY NO TO THE BC HOUSING BAILOUT OF SEQUEL 138 CONDOS!
Tuesday December 11, 2012
Rally & march meeting 2 pm
In front of Pantages demolition site at blue wall (about 138 E Hastings)
..the project
BC Housing subsidizes Pantages Condo project
Should BC Housing subsidize a Downtown Eastside (DTES) condo developer when our neighbourhood has 850 homeless people and 3500 living in crummy hotel rooms that need to be replaced? Is Condo King Bob Rennie, also on the Board of BC Housing, behind a sweet deal that will probably increase property values two blocks away from his own office?
These are two questions that shocked Downtown Eastsiders are asking after learning that BC Housing plans to loan up to $23 million to condo developer Marc Williams. Williams plans to build 79 condo units plus 18 social housing units (only 9 will rent at welfare rates) at the site of the old Pantages Theatre, 138 E. Hastings. He calls the project Sequel 138. According to The Province, the loans will be at 1.29 % interest, much lower than the going rate from a bank.....
http://themainlander.com/2012/11/30/bc-housing-subsidizes-pantages-condo-project/
..tuesday dec 11, we gather
..a 100 – 150 of us gather at the proposed condo site. people are outraged to find that bc housing is bailing out this project to the tune of almost 30 million dollars while thousands with marginal income are on a waiting list for social housing.
Pledges:
..we sign pledges that are posted up on the the wooden wall that separates us from the construction site. the pledges read that we will do all we can to prevent this project from happening.
On the move:
..so we begin out 1.5 hours trek visiting places of interest in the down town east side (dtes). there is much vocal support from the residents along the way. they also participate in our chants including “not for sale” “whose streets” and others.
1st stop:
..our 1st stop pidgin park. i check out some signs.
Vision:
..there's vision the so called left council who are making this mass gentrification possible and providing it legitimacy.
Van City Savings:
..there's van city the credit union that will make the first $5000 available to the condo mortgage holders of this project. also providing legitimacy to gentrification.
Again we move along.
Next stop:
..the next stop is a newly built art gallery that is housed in a rennie building. there is no connection on any level between the artwork and the dtes residents. this is art for current and future gentrification projects.
..speakers speak and we hear: rennie owns several pieces of property in the dtes that are slated for other gentrification projects. he also (scandalous and disgusting) sits on the executive board of bc housing that is bailing out the sequel 138 project. no conflict of interest here..move along.
..we also learn that a condo project partner is the bc government. no conflict of interest here..move along.
..a resident of the dtes speaks. he has been on the bc housing list for 5 years, lives in a one room sro overlooking the condo construction site. he has had four heart attacks in the last 4 years including bypass surgery.
Progress:
..as we move on we see “progress” in action.
Comrade down:
..the dtes resident who spoke at the rennie building has collapsed. we stop to wait for him. different speakers speak. we make way as an ambulance arrives and takes our comrade away. we wish him well.
Final stop:
..our final stop a bc housing office.
..a number of us enter while others remain outside with the banner chanting and educating passers by on why we are here. the office manager comes out and invites “our leader” into the back for a conversation. we respond with singing and chants. we remain for approx 30 minutes and move outside. we have a moment of silence for our fallen sisters and brothers. we name their names which are many. we end with promises to meet again soon.
I hope they have some success. It has been very difficult here; the sell-off of the former Institute for the Deaf brought together the strings of Church abuse of vulnerable children, corruption and collusion (Charbonneau Commission) and the little fiefs of borough mayors who have every interest in increasing the tax base by expelling the working-class people who have lived in my area (Villeray and Petite-Patrie) for generations.
..my pleasure catchfire! i will be there in future actions..i've pledged it.
..there will be a protest every saturday from 12 to 1pm at the condo sales office. not sure where it is but will post the address when i find out.
eta: here it is!
Sequel 138
Presentation Centre
Address
International Village Mall ( Formerly Tinseltown )
Second Floor
2097 - 88 West Pender
Vancouver, BC, Canada
http://sequel138.com/
lagatta
..there has been succeses here though it is difficult to tell as nobody announces that they have suffered a set back. one such that was spoken of was an alley way that was meant to provide high end boutiques once the residents were removed. the project failed after much protest. it's a tough road though as the masks are off and gentrification has become an open plan. thing about it is there is nowhere for the current residents to go where they can participate in the alternative economy that has been built over the years in order to survive.
Ending the False Debate about Save-On-Meats
Currently there is a debate raging about the pros and cons of Save-on-Meats in the Downtown Eastside. The latest is a polarizing sandwich token program to help feed the poor, in which restaurant customers can purchase tokens from Save-on-Meats and donate them to people in the neighborhood. Critiques have been made here, here, and here, as well as at The Mainlander, with Peter Driftmier’s “Beggars Can’t be Choosers” (Peter used to be a sandwich maker at Save-on-Meats)....
quote:
As with so many other gentrification projects, Mark Brand’s numerous upscale Gastown enterprises have come under attack from the neighborhood. Anyone reading The Province or listening to the debates would nonetheless be surprised to know that Brand owns multiple upscale businesses in the DTES — six to be precise. In light of the problem, the underlying conflict about Save-on-Meats is clearly not about the intentions of Mark Brand, the nutritional value of his food, or the latest Oprah appearance. The conflict is about gentrification.
I've been involved in many battles against gentrification here, but I do have a question for Vancouver activists. We have to protect the rights of current Downtown Eastside residents to continue to live in their community - it is extremely important for poor people to maintain contacts and access to services.
But this does appear as an extremely broken community - yes, I'm looking at it from afar and have only the most cursory direct knowledge of it. The social problems are much graver than in the old working-class areas where we have waged housing fights. How can people in the neighbourhood be helped to get their lives in order and to be able to support themselves? (of course not all people can support themselves in any area).
I know that safe and secure housing is an important piece in the puzzle, but there are others. Just asking; not judging anyone.
Have the provincial NDP commented on planned development in the DTES? Maybe I missed something. (is there a municipal NDP presence in Vancouver?)
In Vancouver the "NDP" supporters split into Vision Vancouver, Gregor's centrist developer backed party and the more left wing COPE. COPE and Vision both supported Gregor in his first bid for Mayor.
In Burnaby we have the most successful left of centre party in Canadian municipal politics The Burnaby Citizens Association is not affiliated directly with the NDP but to buy a membership in the BCA you must already be a member of the NDP. Their take on homelessness is not great because as far as they are concerned housing is a joint provincial and federal responsibility and not a municipal one. They are willing to expedite projects but will not budget any real resources since they consider it senior government downloading.
Much appreciated - thanks!
ETA: Oops - I just realised I asked a similar question maybe a year or two ago on this board. I've got little short term memory left - I'll try to save this info so I won't ask a third time!
lagatta, one of the worst crimes of local and national media when reporting on the DTES is the incessant, even pathological demonization of the neighnourhood. No one -- and i mean no one -- in the MSM is able to utter the words "Vancouver's Downtown Eastside," without also uttering "poorest postal code in Canada": a statement that is not only factually incorrect, but chooses to highlight one aspect of the rich and diverse picture. I've been working with DTES people for about four years now, and I have never seen a more dedicated and vibrant community -- dedicated to fighting gentrification, police brutality, and systemic bias (e.g. Missing and Murdered Women Commission). There is also a large artist community, ad hoc support network and collective feeling.
None of this is ever mentioned in MSM reports on the DTES. Even the brief times something comes up -- for example InSite -- it's never mentioned that this was solely the result of a long and bitter struggle on the part of DTES residents. Politicians and academics get credit. Not to mention that even this feelgood story fits into the dominant narrative that the DTES is full of drug addicts and prostitutes.
Finally, even if the community is broken (which I don't accept), any damage is part of a sustained and psychopathic campaign by developers, shiteating politicians and capitalists to take land away from the people who live there and turn it into profit or vacation spots for the entitled rich. This fact alone is reason to step in and protect this communty from these -- pardon me -- fucking pigs.